Fatigue is a known sign that you are lacking basic nutrients. On an everyday basis, you should not feel like you’re ready to pass out. On the contrary, if you are eating right you should have bounds of energy. This is a no-brainer but what are some other less obvious signs that you may be lacking more than your share of vital minerals, vitamins, and other essential nutrients? Read below to find out some signs that you need to watch out for. If you do experience any of these signs, consult with your doctor as to the best course of treatment to ameliorate the situation.

Dry Skin

Dry skin is not uncommon in cold weather or after you get sunburned but if your skin is feeling drier and flakier than usual or you suddenly see more wrinkles, then you may be missing omega-3 fatty acids. Why is this important? Omega-3s lock in moisture by nourishing the lipid barrier of your skin. To get more omega-3 fatty acids in your diet eat fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, herring, anchovies and sardines. If fish is not your thing, try soybeans (roasted), walnuts, flaxseed and chia seeds. Toss them in your salads, smoothies or cook your everyday food with canola oil. Omega-3 supplements are readily available. To check out some good reviews and find the one for you, see Research and You.

Pale Skin

Pale skin is one of the outwardly visible signs of low iron or anemia, which generally results from a reduction in the number of red blood cells or if those red blood cells are smaller and filled with less hemoglobin. You may also notice a shadow underneath your eyes. Iron deficiencies may be a sign of an underlying issue, so make sure you see a doctor. You can load up on lentils, beef, spinach, liver, sesame seeds and dried fruit (such as apricots, prunes, and raisins) to increase your iron.

Swollen, Cracked and Sore Lips

In the winter, lips crack easily and may even bleed but if you notice that your lips are seriously cracked and sore for long periods of time you may be dehydrated or you may have a riboflavin (or vitamin B2) deficiency. You can tell the difference if the dryness occurs around the outside of your lips and if you also have a swollen, dark-red tongue. Don’t delay in getting treatment since a riboflavin deficiency may cause nerve damage. To include more riboflavin in your diet eat almonds, salmon, broccoli, cheddar cheese, eggs, beef liver, lamb, milk, yogurt, mushrooms, spinach or sun-dried tomatoes.

Bleeding Gums

If you see a little blood on your toothbrush, it most likely means you need to floss more often or that you may have the beginnings of gingivitis. However, if you do floss regularly and your gums start bleeding for no reason, you may have a vitamin K deficiency. The role of vitamin K is to help blood clot or coagulate. You can get plenty of this nutrient from dark, leafy green vegetables, such as kale, spinach, turnip greens, collards, Swiss chard, mustard greens, parsley and Brussels sprouts. You can also consume other vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage or fish, liver, meat and eggs.

Going Gray

Gray hair is a normal part of aging but if you notice a sudden change in your hair texture or if you’re going gray sooner than expected then a copper deficiency may be the culprit. Copper helps you create melatonin, one of the pigments that gives your hair its color. Low vitamin D or vitamin B-12 levels might also trigger premature graying. Try consuming almonds or hazelnuts to get more copper, drink fortified dairy products for vitamin D and eat animal products, including fish, meat, poultry and eggs for a vitamin B-12 deficiency.

Bottom Line

Nutritional deficiencies may be a result of underlying medical issues or conditions. Your body is a temple and will start to break down if you are depleted in certain minerals and vitamins. Each morning take a close look at your body and don’t delay if you see any of the signs we mentioned or others that concern you. Early detection is key.

Losing weight can be a difficult prospect. With so much information out there, it can be tough to find the right method. In this article, I’ll be talking about some fantastic weight loss exercises that you can do anywhere, anytime, and can help increase your metabolism so your body will burn off fat like butter.

There’s a common belief that only long distance or cardiovascular endurance type of exercises are good for weight loss. While you do lose weight while doing those exercises, they don’t increase your metabolism very much, because they don’t build much muscle mass. By doing some strength training, you will increase your muscle tone, and this will increase your metabolism. This can dramatically help you lose weight.

Squats

Squats are a great way to strengthen your upper legs, calves, stomach, and lower back. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart. Take a deep breath in. Pull you arms back behind you, and begin to swing them forward as you squat down. Put the weight on the balls of your feet. Swing your arms so they tips of your fingers barely touch the floor. Inhale as you stand up. Repeat as many times as you can. At first, you’ll be able to do ten or twenty, but you’ll be able to increase over time.

Push ups

Push ups are another great way to increase your lean muscle mass. They work pretty much every muscle above the waist. Start in the push-up position, and then raise your backside so that you are in an upside down V. As you lower your midsection, sweep your chest and face forward, and then lift them up. Your legs and waist should be just above the floor, and chest and face should be pointed forward. Return to the V position and repeat. This is fairly difficult, so don’t expect to do more than a couple the first time. Just keep at it, and be prepared to be amazed at the changes in your upper body.

Sit up

Build good looking abs with sit ups. There are countless variations, so just choose one that you are familiar with. A common one, which works plenty of muscles, is called the mummy sit up. Lay down on your back, like you are getting ready to go to sleep. Then sit up without bending your legs, or lifting them off the floor. When you can do twenty-five of these, consider yourself to have stronger stomach muscles that pretty much anybody you meet.

Walking

Walking makes the best exercises list not because it is extraordinary but because you do it every day. It is extremely easy to stick to a workout plan when it includes walking because it’s something you do anyway. Simply making yourself walk more or further is much easier task than keeping that New Year’s resolution to go to the gym three times a week!

Planks

A plank is a variation of a push up and really works the core muscles. It includes pushing up off the ground as if you’re going to do a push up, but instead holding the pose for at least one minute. A repetition of ten to twenty planks per day will shed the pounds quicker than with 500 pushups a day! It is a good idea to start out slow as just one of these can really make a difference in your overall weight loss.

Dance

Dancing is an incredibly fun and easy way to shed pounds quickly. It also falls into the category of walking in that it is something that is easy to do when you are cleaning house or just lazing around on a Saturday morning. Remember it is always the things that are enjoyable that help you lose weight fast and that is because you are more likely to stick to the regimen if you aren’t bored or feel like you are punishing yourself.

Kettlebell Swings

Kettlebell Swings are a safe and effective exercise for most people. It’s a great full body workout that recruits several different muscle groups. Kettlebell swings not only improve muscle definition, but they’ll work on your cardiovascular endurance as well. If you have back pain, these are a great low impact exercise to improve endurance and strengthen the muscles of the back without a lot of risk for injury.

Strengthening Exercise

Strengthening exercise builds muscular strength and is a great complement to aerobic exercise. Lifting weights or utilizing resistance training machines are a great way to build muscle strength, but you can also successfully build muscle in the comfort of your own home by doing sit-ups, push-ups, leg lifts or taking a 2-5 pound weight with you when you go for a walk. Resistance bands can be purchased and used in the comfort of your home, as well.

Flexibility Training

Flexibility training is important because as we age, the full range of motion of our muscles and joints can decrease, and stretching can prevent this from happening. It’s easy to incorporate stretching into your exercise routine by stretching for at least 5-10 minutes before and after aerobic and strength-training exercise programs. And be sure you don’t overstretch, as this can injure your body.

Combo Workout Regimens

Combo workouts are quicker ways to lose weight. Doing the same workout every day can not only be boring but it can also prevent you from seeing true results. Once your body becomes conditioned to a workout it begins to slow down in way of progression due to muscle memory. But this is only one reason that combo workouts make such difference in your weight loss success.

These ten exercises should be enough to get you started. Don’t push yourself too hard, and add repetitions only when you feel comfortable. Give yourself a couple of months, and prepare to be amazed at how well these simple exercises will burn fat and dramatically change the way your body looks.